A World We Defy
by LacieLemons
Summary: Being the CEO of the biggest record label company in Midgar, Cloud Strife is the single most successful man of his age and generation. But what of the sinister shadows hidden behind the glimmer of his fame? The world he knows, is just about to collapse...
1. Prologue: His Normalcy

**A World We Defy**

* * *

 _ **Being the CEO of the biggest record label company in Midgar, Cloud Strife is the single most successful man of his age and generation. But what of the sinister shadows hidden behind the glimmer of his fame? The world he knows, is just about to collapse...**_

* * *

 **{Prologue: His Normalcy}**

"What do you mean by 'unable'?"

Reno shuffled his feet against the cold marbled flooring. "Boss, that's all he said. He ain't coming back anytime soon. N'thin I can do."

Cloud Strife adjusted the cuffs on his sleeves, an action that reminded Reno of an eagle sharpening its claws before a hunt. "What is he up to this time?"

A silence uncharacteristic of Reno pressed on until Rude stepped in to reply. "Boss.. This time it's a bit more serious. He knocked Tseng unconscious, tied him to the bed, left his phone and a note that said he found his.. 'calling and is unable to return to a life of mediocrity."

The cuff fell onto the floor with the effect of a pin drop. "What do you mean by 'a life of mediocrity'? We have made him the most celebrated singer here in Midgar!"

"Boss! We'll find him for sure! We just have to postpone the concert for now." Rude stepped forward, veins popping in his forehead.

Cloud stood up and walked towards the balcony where the curtains are slightly drawn to reveal the skyline of Midgar. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned towards the window like the Don used to do.

The aging Don has only just entrusted him to run the biggest record label company in Midgar, Fantasy Music Group (FMG). Only a 3 month old CEO, he cannot afford to screw up the biggest income generator of this generation.

"Where was he last seen?"

"Costa Del Sol."

"Then overturn the sands of Costa Del Sol! Find him no matter what." Though new, Cloud is still known for his austerity.

"Yes Boss!"

"Aye Boss!"

In their hearts, Reno and Rude said a silent prayer for Genesis.

* * *

The most anticipated marriage of the entertainment industry is one between the two heirs of the greatest empires. Beyond marriage, it is a merger of the Music and Film Empire.

Such is the marriage between Cloud Strife and Aerith Gainsborough.

Aerith Gainsborough is the only daughter of Ilfalna Gainsborough, the MD of GB Films, one of the biggest film production companies in all of Gaia.

Perhaps the greatest of all, is that this is a union of love.

"You shouldn't tire yourself so much." Aerith reached over to pour another glass of the finest wine, imported from the best wine cellars in Wutai. "It's not the first time Gen caused trouble for FMG, I'm sure he'll be back again like always."

Cloud's head throbbed from the verbalization of the name. He rubbed his temples and sighed under his breath. "Seems a little more serious this time.. left his phone and belongings behind, not even Tseng could stop him."

Her lips curled upwards into the iconic angelic Aerith smile, always bright, always encouraging as if there was nothing in the world worth furrowing her brows over. "You'll find him, won't you? Then beat him up and tie him to his bed like he did to Tseng."

Cloud chucked lightly. "Yeah." He rubbed her nose with his thumb gently, the way he always did for the years they have dated. "Let's not talk about him now. How is everything with the new movie?"

Aerith giggled and pinched the finger that was messing up the foundation from her nose. "So far it's great! The new lead actor seems a little overwhelmed but the Rufus whipped him into shape."

"Zack Fair, was it?" He asked, reaching back for his food. The filet mignon melted in his mouth like butter.

"Yep! Quite a dashing fellow, just inexperienced. Mom was thinking of signing him on a longer contract. He has huge potential."

"Hmm." He swallowed the mouthful down with a long sip of red wine. "If you need some publicity, I can get him featured in our new album."

"Nu-uh!" Aerith frowned. "Everyone in the industry has been joking about us and how we are planning to dominate the world with our marriage. No more drama puh-lease!"

He rolled his eyes. "Told you not to get bothered by all those rumors. Just stop reading the paparazzi magazines."

Aerith winced in embarrassment. "Hmph." She tilted her head and took a big gulp of wine, finishing what she had filled previously.

The corner of her eye caught the time on the clock and she nearly choked. "Cloud! You're almost late for your appointment!"

Cloud glanced to see the time. "I'll get Rude to call Hojo. It's fine if I skipped a day." He paused, "Been a while since we spent time together."

"No!" Aerith glared at him. "You have to go, Cloud! It's not good to skip therapy sessions. We can always meet up another time."

Cloud looked at her and saw that she was serious about this. He took the napkin and wiped the corners of his mouth before waiving for Reno and Rude to enter.

"I'll see you next week?" He leaned over and kissed her on her forehead.

"Hopefully!" She smiled and returned the kiss on his cheek.

Reno accompanied Cloud down the hallway and into the elevator reserved for VIP guests of the restaurant. He entered the code of their parking lot and the car was sent to them by the smart parking system of the restaurant upon exiting the lift.

Rude stayed behind to escort Aerith back to her car.

* * *

Hojo is a man in is late forties.

Often people described him as 'the greasy genius'. Indeed, his graying hair seemed to always hang in wet locks. Nonetheless, he is one of the best doctors in the whole of Midgar. He is all-encompassing in the medical field, having earned 12 different PhDs, including that of neuroscience.

Cloud took off his coat and Reno swiftly took it onto his arms. "You can go now."

"Aye." Reno did a mock salute and retreated towards the exit stretching his back and yawning after a long day. There has been only hell here since Genesis up and left.

Hojo's assistant and fiancée Lucrecia welcomed Cloud into the doctor's office. She led him into his private changing room where his change of clothing and some personal belongings are kept for his weekly treatment. Cloud shut the door and changed into the set of black patient clothing perfectly tailored to his size. He locked his phone and wallet in the safe provided by Don from years ago, which recognized only his fingerprints.

Cloud has been here many times before, yet the thought of the treatment ahead still run his skin cold.

While the doctor's office is covered in bright fluorescent lights, like the embrace of daylight; the treatment room is the absolute opposite. Cloud laid on the reclining couch as always, staring into the red lights above.

He didn't like closing his eyes in this dark treatment room. Something about the red light was comforting; it seemed almost like a pair of eyes, staring at him. It was like soft waves pushing against the shore to him, exciting yet calm. He always found salvage in these lights when the treatment began.

"Welcome, Cloud!" Hojo entered the room with his surgical mask, gloves and cap all donned. "Today we are completing the seventh session of our Mako treatment." Hojo squealed, the way he always does when speaking about the progression of the treatments. Pumped with excitement, he draws the mask over Cloud's nose and connected the sleeping gas.

The room shimmered with the beautiful turquoise iridescence of Mako as sleep overtook Cloud.

He has long learnt to compartmentalize his memories.

The first part is always the past everyone told him about. Don rescuing him after his parents died fighting in Wutai. He dressed him in the finest silk, fed him the most exquisite cuisine. These memories were clear like a HD movie; he sat and watch how Don held his hand and led him away from the burning grounds of Wutai, dressed him in the finest silk and fed him the most exquisite cuisine.

Then, everything is engulfed in black; slowly the storm is starting, and pieces of the memories were swept away.

In this memory, he was falling.

His eyes searches forward, there was no fear in his heart, only relief. It seemed that he had jumped off something like a cliff; the cold air scratched against his skin. He could tell that he was young here, his body swept by the currents of wind like a kite without strings.

Behind, he heard a voice. A faint calling of a girl, but the wind was too strong to make out her words. He tried his best to look behind him, where the sun was shining bright. A silhouette was falling behind him, and immediately he felt his chest explode.

All his adult life, he had never felt something like this. It was so sudden he couldn't even understand what the feelings were. But there was definitely an overwhelming sensation of… happiness.

Cloud opened his eyes, and the room was filled with the pungent smell of Mako.

"How are you feeling?" Lucrecia asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Doctor is monitoring your heart rate and dream wave graphs. I will bring him in shortly."

Cloud sat up against the bed and pulled the IV strip from his wrist. He has long gotten used to the sensation of cold Mako essence slowly moving in his veins.

"Hehe…he…" Hojo chuckled while walking into the room. His face lit up with joy as he flipped the pages of the report in his hands, seems like the latest treatment was a success.

"I haven't seen any more memories this time than before, so why are you acting like you've hit jackpot?" Cloud rubbed his nose, Hojo smelled like he has been in the basement for a week.

"Hehehe… what do you see this time?" Hojo peeked over his foggy glasses, but still focused on the reports.

"Just the past with Don, like always." Cloud murmured. He has long stopped talking about the second part of the memories. "I don't think the treatment is working much."

"Oh?" Hojo laughed. "The treatment is going great! Hehehehehe… The Don will be... _very happy_ with these results!"

 _The Don,_ Cloud thought. _Haven't seen him in a while._ "I'll leave now."

Cloud stepped out of the treatment room and into the bright lights of the doctor's office again. Lucrecia followed behind him. "I will email Reno and Rude about your next appointment, and the Doctor will be forwarding your report to the Don shortly." She paused and adjusted her glasses. "Rude is already waiting outside."

Cloud turned to look at Lucrecia. She always seems pale after the treatments, today she looked more overworked than usual. "Thanks."

In the private changing room, Cloud massaged his wrist, where his veins are sore from all the transfusion. Beyond all his fame and glory, none but few knows of his secret; he is a man without memories.

He was already the Don's son as far as he can remember. He even had to re-learn speech at the age of twelve because of the memory loss; but he persevered. From a baby at twelve, to the top student of the most prestigious high school in Midgar at the age of fifteen. He knew he had to do the Don proud, he owed him everything.

These treatments started when he was seventeen. The Don knew the lack of memory bothered him, and set him apart from the rest, so he hired the best doctor of Gaia, and searched for different treatments to help him. It has been seven years since his first treatment. The Mako treatment was supposed to be the final treatment of all, but he has long gotten used to these sessions that he does not think will ever end.

Just like how he has long given up on finding back his memories.

Cloud looked out the window, the sun was already rising.

* * *

"Boss?" Rude knocked.

Cloud has just gotten out of the shower, towel around his hips. "Yes?" He said, while rubbing his hair dry with another towel.

"Tseng is here," Rude replied from over the door, his voice stern. "He brought Genesis."

"I will be out shortly."

Cloud looked into the mirror, his eyes gleaming with an eerie green beneath the sharp blue, an after effect of mako exposure. He ruffled his hair, threw the towels on the bed, slipped on a bathrobe and headed to the study.

"Boss." Tseng stood up to greet Cloud.

"Sit." Cloud waived at him and took a seat at the seat opposite of him. "What news do you have for me?"

Tseng pushed the file on the table to Cloud. "We found him working at a small bar along the beach of Costa Del Sol." He flipped the pages of the file, each page a different picture of Genesis. Some serving drinks, some sun tanning. "I tried speaking to him, but he didn't budge, so I hired some locals and have him escorted here."

"Good job." Cloud flipped the pages of the file and it was obvious that he was after a girl at the bar. Many of the pictures had him leaning over the bar and talking to a girl with her head turned away from the camera. This guy was obviously in heat. "Bring him over."

"Aye boss." Reno answered, and headed out to inform Rude who took over Tseng to look after Genesis.

Cloud continued flipping the pages. "7th Heaven?" He asked.

"Yes, that is the name of the bar."

"Sound like a dirty place."

Tseng nearly choked on his tea. "It's the seventh unit of the street so… I think that's the reason for the name."

Cloud shot him a look and continued looking through the pictures. It didn't take long for Reno and Rude to 'escort' Genesis over.

"Boss." They greeted, and pushed Genesis in before closing the door behind.

"Greetings, Cloud." Genesis put on his ever-dashing million dollar smile. "It's been a while since I've had the honor of meeting you."

Cloud smiled back, yet to Genesis, it was like an eagle ready to strike. "I sure hope it took longer for me to see you again."

Genesis slumped into the couch beside Tseng. "I'm glad we get a chance to speak. I have many things to talk to you about."

"Me too." Cloud rested his chin on his knuckles. "I heard you found your calling?" He slid the file over to where Genesis was. "Was it some sort of mating call?"

Tseng choked again on his tea while Genesis let out a nervous cough. "If you wish to put it that way, sure."

Cloud scoffed.

"Cloud." Genesis' voice turned serious. "I've found my muse, right there at the coast of Costa Del Sol."

"What muse?"

" _Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess._ " He closed his eyes, reciting the lyrics of a song in his best selling album, LOVELESS. "Cloud, after meeting her, I've come to realize that there is no true music for me if my music is without her."

" _What?_ " Cloud winced; it was always so difficult to understand this guy. Heck, he doesn't even know why girls around the globe are going crazy over his persona, though he wouldn't complain about the business side of things.

"I cannot make music without her anymore." Genesis gives his ultimatum. "Without her, I can no longer be an artist. If you insist for me to return to how I make music previously, then I quit."

"What the actual fuck." Cloud slammed the table. "Tseng! Can you explain?"

"Boss, this woman Genesis is talking about… is a great pianist." Tseng shifted in his seat. "Perhaps we can hire her as an assistant to Genesis? I'm sure she will do great in assisting the composition of his pieces."

"Not an assistant! Never an assistant!" Genesis frowned. "She is the soul to my music, my muse."

Cloud crossed his arms to resist the urge of throwing the file in Genesis' face. "Then go get her!" Cloud waved at Tseng, his voice trembling with anger.

Genesis nearly jumped in his seat, "Really, Cloud?!"

"Genesis," Cloud rubbed his temples. "After the concert I will be arranging an all-day fan meeting for you."

"What?!" Genesis roared. "I absolutely despise those noisy fan girls!"

"Perfect." Cloud smiled, as friendly as a lion toying his prey. "Then you will come to understand just how much I love dealing with your bullshit."

* * *

 _The inspiration for this story was the song "Worlds Collide" by Nicki Taylor for the League Of Legends World Championships 2015; therefore the title._

 _We are the ones to ignite the darkened skies;_

 _The champions of a world that we defy!_

 _A solemn reign of the few who rise up high;_

 _And we all fight at the last light._

* * *

 **See you next week!**

 **XOXO, Lacie**


	2. An Unwelcome Guest

_This chapter is dedicated to my best friend's mom, who has been battling ovarian cancer for the past year._

 _She just received news today that the cancer cells have been contained and is not found in other parts of her body._

 _If you too, are struggling with something, big or small, in your life; please tell yourself that everything will be fine and bad days come and go._

 _Good morning and I hope this chapter makes your day better!_

* * *

 **{Chapter Two: An Unwelcome Guest}**

The curse of morning light meant that the short rest for Cloud has come to an end. There is quite literally no such thing as 'rest' for a young successor of a huge corporation. Meetings after meetings, Cloud is chasing time like a hamster on a wheel again.

He really wished Genesis stopped making his life a living hell.

"What now?"

The monthly meeting with the finance department has just ended. The EBIT this quarter has been the highest for FMG in the past 5 years; the board of directors are thrilled, the investors are confident, but he know that a large part of the additional revenue was from the crazy sales of Genesis' LOVELESS album. If he could choose, he would rather not depend on the nut job for his success.

Waiting for him outside the meeting room, was the trio that looked like death.

"Boss," Tseng took the lead. "We followed your orders to bring the pianist here. But there was some issues back at Costa Del Sol and the staffs at the bar wouldn't let us take her. We thought it was a small issue, so we got the approval from Reeve to change the plans slightly, and brought her colleagues along. We then tried to make her sign the contract but the group has caused some ruckus at the meeting room on level fifteen."

Reeve was the general manager for the commercial department, which handles the acquiring of new artistes, and the maintenance of existing ones. He was basically the second in command to Cloud in the operations of FMG.

"How many additional people are we talking about here?" Cloud rubbed his temples, an action he has been doing excessively since the Genesis ordeal started.

"Three." Tseng replied, Reno and Rude nodding behind him.

"How is that an issue?" Cloud was slowly losing patience. _Why can't he get two days without more problems from this Genesis saga?_ "Can we not even host four people in this huge building?"

"They insist to speak with the CEO before agreeing to anything."

"What?" The veins on Cloud's forehead throbbed visibly. "Tell them – I do not have the time. Either they sign willingly, or forced. Let them choose."

It is absolutely unheard of to have a CEO to be present for a big corporation to sign a low ranking employee. Cloud took a mental note to visit the HR manager sometime soon.

"And tell Reeve to keep things in control." Cloud sighed. "The concert must go as planned."

"Yes boss." Tseng bowed.

Cloud continues about his day, meeting the composers and the music video editors to check on the progress and motivate them. No one respects a high and mighty management. He then goes back to his office and sign of the piles of files that has accumulated, mainly boring paper works seeking approval of funds for activities or concert locations and dates.

It was almost the end of the day when he finished going through the quarterly reports from all the different departments. Elena, his secretary, knocked on the door to his office.

"Mr. Strife?"

"Come in."

"There is a visitor." She looked up at him; he could tell she was worried about him getting upset. "She has been waiting since morning. Do you wish to meet her?"

"Who is she?"

"She mentioned she is the pianist we brought from Costa Del Sol."

Cloud immediately slumped into his chair. "What does she want?"

"She mentioned she would like to speak with you."

"About what?" Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry sir, she wouldn't say."

Cloud took a deep breath and sat up in his chair. "Bring her to the resting room, I'll be there shortly."

"Yes, Sir."

Cloud shut down his computer, unplugged the adjoined laptop and slid it into his briefcase. He then wore the coat he had hung on the chair previously and prepared his wallet and keys. He planned to leave after speaking with her.

He had no idea what she wanted, a pianist from a small bar in Costa Del Sol. Her life must be miles and miles away from his.

Nevertheless, to the public, he had an image to keep, and so he shall meet her proper.

Elena printed out a copy of the agreement letter prepared by the HR department for the pianist in question and handed the file to Cloud. He sighed and took over the file. Although Cloud is still new as a CEO, he is pretty darn sure that sitting down and talking to a 'freelance pianist' engaged to assist one of their singers is way beneath what he is supposed to do here in FMG. Then again, why has he been doing nothing but babysitting Genesis this entire week?

Cloud thought about looking for a new singer that can overtake Genesis. Though difficult, it's the easiest way out of this hell.

With all these thoughts floating in his head, Cloud slowly opened the door to the resting room. This is a small attached room to his office where he would sometimes meet business partners, or department heads of FMG, usually at a one-on-one setting.

Unlike the usual meeting rooms, the chairs were replaced by leather couches, and the table is but a wooden coffee table with a glass top completed with a 70 inch plasma TV built into the wall, often used for quick reviews of music videos, or just plain recreation. The meeting rooms are usually built with projectors instead.

He flipped the file to look at the agreement briefly;

'Tifa Lockhart'

'23 Years Old'

'Birth City: Nibelheim'

'Last Education: High School'

With that, thinking he had understood most there is to her; he opened the door and greeted her. "Good Evening," He closed the door behind and walked towards her with his hand out for a handshake, "I'm Cloud Strife."

Tifa Lockhart is an attractive woman, even Cloud had to agree. Her dark auburn hair rested lazily on her back and stretched down her waist, and her eyes, a lighter and fiercer shade of red were fixed under a perfectly soft arched brow. She didn't have make up on, yet her skin was flawless and smooth.

She looked at him in the eyes and took a long pause before replying.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Strife," She took his hand shake. "I'm Tifa Lockhart. Sorry to bother you after working hours."

He smiled at her good manners, "No problem at all. Here's my name card and I'm delighted to meet you too."

Her voice was earthy, like a voice you would expect from someone you can trust. Feminine yet strong, Cloud put her under the list of vocalists who are suitable for songs that are emotional and motivational. Always a hit, but unsustainable success; they get boring quickly.

She took his name card and slots it into a side pocket of the brown messenger bag she was carrying. Cloud took note of her action and could tell that she has never been to a formal meeting before. He watched her adjust the small leather jacket she was wearing over a white low-cut cotton shirt to accommodate the strap of the bag. She wore a pair of matching black high-waist jeans and a pair of black ankle boots.

Although nothing expensive, she was dressed well. In the two seconds of studying her actions and demeanor, Cloud understood that she was extremely nervous. Her hands were cold and slightly moist; and even though her grip was good, he could tell she was trembling.

"Please, take a seat." He invited. "I heard from Elena – my secretary, that you have been waiting since morning today?" Must be right after he rejected to meet them.

"Y-yes," She replied, unsure if he was being sarcastic. "I just have a few questions I would like to ask." She sets her bag on the couch beside her.

Cloud sat at the single couch to the right of her and crossed his legs. "Is it about your contract?" He asked, flipping the file Elena prepared for him. He slides the file across the glass surface of the coffee table to set it in front of her, opened at the page of 'terms and conditions'. "I will do my best to answer them, even though I am not entirely sure how HR works." He jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

"No, not about the contract." She closed the file. "I've previously thought of joining FMG myself but was rejected at the auditions."

 _Then why make a fuss now?_ Cloud thought silently.

"Not exactly for the same reasons you are thinking," She continued. "But… anyways, I just wanted to ask…"

There was a pregnant pause again, and she looked like she had a gulp of air choked in her throat. "I will be glad to assist Miss Lockhart." He shrugged.

"I-I've read a few articles about you, is it true you were born in Midgar?"

Well, that's a question he didn't see coming. Of course he cannot affirm with his own childhood memories, but he has plenty proof to suggest he was born in Midgar. "Yes, I am."

She looked at him and he could tell she was disappointed by the answer. "What about your eyes? Were they always blue?"

He frowned. What kind of question is this? "Yes, as far as I know, they have always been blue." He laughed.

Her face turned red from possible embarrassment. "What about the army? I heard you joined the army before taking over FMG. Have you always wanted to be part of the army?"

"Well, that's a question many reporters have asked before." He paused to take a sip from the cup of black coffee Elena prepared for him. "Yes, I felt a great sense of pride and loyalty to the safety of the people in Midgar, that's why I joined the army." He paused, "but my true passion has always been to support FMG and develop it to greater heights."

She looked down and there was a silence again. After a moment he watched her gulp down the glass of iced water Elena has brought for her. _A whole glass of iced water in mid autumn, when it's already getting cold out?_ Cloud affirmed that this woman definitely has some issues.

She sets the glass down on the table with a loud thud and almost shouted the final question at him. "Has your name always been Cloud Strife?"

He nearly choked on the coffee himself. "Of course." He furrowed his brows. "Is that all the questions you have, Miss Lockhart?"

There was a brief moment of silence before she stood up abruptly and snatched her bag from the couch. "Why Cloud Strife? Why don't you change your name to Sun Strife, Moon Strife, Rain Strife, Thunder Strife, Wind Strife, _whatever_ Strife? This name doesn't suit you!"

Cloud was so shocked at her sudden outburst that he couldn't even react when she closed the file and shoved it into his arms. She used so much force it moved the couch back with a loud screech. "And no, I am not signing any bloody contracts!"

She stormed to the door and stopped when her hand reached the door handle, "and tell your Genesis to stop coming to my bar or I will seriously punch his face in!"

And the next thing Cloud heard was deafening slam of the door being forced from its hinges and her voice booming from outside. "What a complete waste of time!"

Cloud just sat with the file in his arms and his eyes wide when Elena peered through the open door. "Mr. Strife? Are you okay?"

Despite being young and slim, Cloud has a strong and muscular physique beneath his scholar-like appearance. If he wanted, he could have simply grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the ground. He did take three years of private martial arts classes, and as she brought up, did spend two years in the army.

"Get Reno and Rude." Cloud slammed the file on the table and stood up to adjust his crumpled top. "And dispose this contract."

Meaning he didn't want to see it ever again. "Yes sir." Elena hugged the file and left the room.

Cloud took a deep breath and walked towards his office, where his briefcase, keys and wallet was set previously. He leaned into the chair and took out his phone to check his texts. As usual, he skipped to Aerith's texts first.

 _'_ There is a new dress that Elmyra finished last week' 12:07

 _2 Attachments Received_

'Shall we go try it on?' 12:07

'Pleeeeaaaaasssseeeeeeee~~' 12:07

'I want to be the MOST BEAUTIFUL woman on my wedding day' 12:08

'I want to go tomorrow afternoon, if possible!' 12:08

'I'm going for the celebration party with Director Cid & the cast for the new movie tonight' 17:23

'Movie is finally doneeeeeeee!' 17:23

'Love you!' 17:24

Being the successors of two huge corporations, they rarely have the time to meet. Even texts are sent like emails with long pauses in between and hours of waiting for a reply. He closed the chat box and looked at his calendar before replying.

'The dress looks perfect for you.' 19:55

'I can't tomorrow. I will get Reno to accompany you. Please take pictures. I am sure you will look stunning.'19:58

'Love you.' 19:59

Cloud scrolled through the other messages; mostly work related updates which he had seen in his emails. It was another minute before Reno and Rude arrived. The look of dread on their faces shows that Elena has already updated them on the incident just now.

"Evening, boss."

"Do you two have anything to say?"

Reno scratched his head and replied first. "Aye boss, the woman said she needed time to decide so we let her off."

Rude stepped in next, "we thought she went home with the rest. We even got the security guard to escort them out."

Cloud rubbed his nose and folded his arms. "Forget it. The reason I called for you two, is for you to let Genesis know – with or without her, he has to continue with the concert."

"Aye, boss!"

"Tell Tseng and Reeve to make sure everything is done right. I do not want to hear another word about Genesis and such."

"Yes boss!"

"If you have to lock Genesis up to convince him, then do it!"

"Yes boss!"

"Loan some guys from Rufus if you need to!"

"Yes boss!"

There was a short pause and Cloud took the moment to cool off. "And Reno, I need you to meet Aerith at Elmyra's boutique tomorrow. Can you call her PA and arrange please?"

"Yes boss!"

Cloud turned his back to them, he wondered if he had been pushing his mood on them too much. He rubs his temples for what must be the thousandth time this week.

* * *

He didn't think he would see her again so soon. But there she was, curled up in a ball on the side of the highway. It should be almost impossible to recognize someone sitting on the ground like this while driving, but he did. And somehow, he was confident it was her.

Cloud thought about leaving her alone as a silent revenge against her unruly attitude to him earlier. But he was a human with conscience, so he only let the thought circle around his head to enjoy a quick imaginative revenge.

He quickly parked his Porsche beside her and opened the door.

"Miss Lockhart?"

She did not respond, but he could see her shoulders flinch slightly when he called. With a sigh, he stepped out of the car and walked towards her. "Miss Lockhart?" He tapped on her shoulder.

"Y… yes?" She looked up at him, her eyes were a little red, perhaps from crying.

"Can I help you?" He asked. "Perhaps send you home?"

"Well, you would have to send me to Costa Del Sol." She sniffed.

"Or a hotel." He grabbed her arms and pulled her up. "Where are your three friends?"

"They went back today." She sighed.

A small droplet of rain fell between them and Cloud pulled her towards the car. "Well it's about to rain and you can't just sit out like that."

She nodded and he opened the door for her, almost shoving her in. The rain was starting to pour when Cloud drove away.

"So maybe you can fill me in while I look for a hotel for you?" He asked, searching for hotels on his GPS.

"I was walking to the train station when I realized I left my phone and wallet in the FMG building." She sighed. "I tried walking back but got kinda lost."

 _Kinda._ He raised his eyebrows; not lost at all, thinking how far the train station is away from the highway, not to mention FMG is in the complete opposite direction. He was almost impressed at how she ended up here.

"I'm really sorry about just now." She whispered.

Cloud just nodded in reply.

"If you don't mind, can you bring me back to FMG first?" She sat up and looked over to him, clasping her hands to her heart. "I really need to get my stuff."

Cloud sighed and look at the time, 21:19. He didn't have anything this evening. "Sure."

The drive back to FMG was quick. He parked his car in the designated spot and tapped his wallet on the security card reader.

"Where did you leave it?" He asked.

She thought for a moment, "Outside your office probably."

He pressed the lift to the highest floor and they stood in silence. Cloud thought about Genesis and how his life would be hell again if he didn't appease to Genesis' needs for the time being until he finds a replacement for him.

"Why don't you take up the offer?" He asked; the building is tall enough for a long conversation. "I believe our HR should have drafted a good proposal."

"I like my freedom" She replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Why don't you tell me," He turned to look at her. "What would be an attractive enough contract?"

Tifa replied without thinking. "It would be expensive."

 _Not more expensive than Genesis._ He cocked his head at her, "I'm pretty rich."

"I don't know…" She sighed after a brief thought. "I just want to stay where I am now, with my friends."

"That's easy." Cloud smiled. "Genesis will just compose music with you at the Costa Del Sol studio."

She fell silent.

Somehow, Cloud knew what would push her over the edge. "I helped you tonight; won't you take this as a favor from me?" He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I can't have Genesis creating more issues now. I promise," he looks over at her, "it'll be 3 months at most." _The soft approach; extremely effective to the vagina-bearing community._

"I don't need you to pay me." She took a step forward towards him, "The owner of my bar, he has a daughter, but we barely make enough to send her to a good middle school there in Costa Del Sol…"

"I can send her to the best school here in Midgar; she will graduate high school with no cost to her parents." He offered.

Tifa nodded, deep in thought. "I still have to speak with her father before I can respond."

"Sure," Cloud raised his brows. "I'm sure he will agree. I will send someone down to get his consent."

Tifa found her belongings in the pantry outside the meeting room where she sat and waited all day. Cloud then drove her to a nearby hotel and charged her stay on his card.

He watched as she took the lift to her hotel room, barely anything on her. He doubts the messenger bag would have more than a set of clothes for her to change.

He calls Tseng to make arrangements for her. Tseng would know better than Reno and Rude of what a lady needs.

* * *

Friday.

For many, this is a day of anticipation and celebration. For Cloud, this is just another day of work, packed full of meetings.

Around noon, during the lunch appointment with one of the shareholders, Reno called. Cloud excused himself and answered the call.

"Boss?"

"Yes?"

"I've tried looking for Ms. Aerith since mornin' and no one seems to know where she is."

"Have you checked her office?" Cloud tapped his foot against the ground.

"Aye, boss." Reno paused to catch his breath. "I've checked every floor, no one saw Ms. Aerith today, and her PA knows nuthin'."

"How about her apartment?"

"I pressed the doorbell and waited until now but no one is coming out of the apartment at all."

"I'll try calling her."

Cloud hung up and tried calling Aerith, but her phone was off.

'Where are you? Reno's here to pick you up. I'm in a meeting so give him a call when you're off to Elmyra's.' 13:26

He then dropped a text to Reno telling him to go back to work until Aerith calls.

Cloud and Aerith have been dating for the past three years. They first met at an alumni gathering, but they were never truly strangers before then; since everyone knows everyone in the circle of elites. It is just a matter of time they met.

Aerith was the idol of Midgar University, where they both graduated. Despite graduating two years before Cloud, and from totally different majors, the only woman Cloud heard day and night, was Aerith the Angel. She was so beautiful it was rumored that half of the male population confessed to her, yet none was successful.

It was a simple courtship, he asked for her number casually, and expressed his interest right from the start. Cloud did not like to beat around the bush. Frequent texts turned into long late night calls, which turned into numerous dates, which turned into kisses and a budding love.

Tonight, Cloud arrived at his apartment slightly drunk from all the social drinking he had with the stakeholders.

This place; his cold icy castle, located in the center of the most expensive neighborhood, was a gift from the Don in commemoration of his new role as CEO.

His phone has been ringing but he didn't like to talk when he cannot be confident of his pronunciations. He left for it to ring.

A cup of cold water helped him come to his senses a bit more and he looked to his phone to see three miss calls from Aerith.

It was almost four in the morning. He calls back and she answers immediately.

"Sorry I missed your calls."

"…It's okay" She sounds beaten, like she too, had a long day today.

"Where did you go today? Reno said he couldn't find you."

"Were you worried? She asked.

"Of course."

"Then meet me now." She continued.

Cloud frowned. Aerith would never want to meet after midnight. She sleeps early. "Isn't it way past your bed time?"

"Meet me now." She insisted.

"I can't. I'm tired tonight." Cloud replied.

"I want you to meet me now." Her voice was really soft. "I have something to tell you."

"I can meet you tomorrow." He paused, thinking about his plans tomorrow. He was sure he could make time in the afternoon.

"I said now." Her voice was barely there this time.

"You're not like yourself tonight, Aerith." He sighed. "You need to catch up on your sleep."

There was no reply from her, so Cloud continued. "I will come over to your place tomorrow noon, okay? I promise."

There was a long pause before she said anything. "Okay."

"Alright, good night beautiful."

"… Good night."

Cloud hung up the call and wondered if he should have agreed to meet Aerith tonight.

* * *

 **"Please take pictures." - Cloud 2K17**

For this chapter, I kept going back and forth on whether I should add their second meeting. Went for it, did my best to make it as good as I can. Tried to cut it down so it wasn't too lengthy, please let me know if it is fine!

I want to add word count at the bottom of each chapter as a control measure to ensure there is enough content and I'm not slacking.

Also, I uploaded this chapter ahead of time because I am almost done writing chapter 3, so you will be getting one more chapter this weekend.

I love all your reviews! It makes me see this story from a different angle. Sometimes I think I am progressing okay, but it may seem too slow. Please let me know your thoughts so I can improve!

My virgin reviews are to: Youngsavage, Sylvia & Lina

Reply to Lina: I hope this chapter shines light on the ship!

Notification gang: youngsavage, hapiflower & Nexxus176

Thank you! You are my motivation!

xoxo, Lacie

* * *

 **Words this chapter without Author's crap: 3973**

 **Worlds total thus far without Author's crap: 6711**


	3. Wings of an Angel

_Sometimes at work, I wish we had more meetings, giving us a legitimate reason to skive._

 _I wonder, by writing in so many meetings for Cloud – is he then a professional skiver?_

 _Welcome to Chapter 3!_

* * *

 **{Chapter Three: Wings of an Angel}**

There was a whole week of peace for Cloud after the 'Tifa Lockhart Contract' landed. The spot for Marlene Wallace A.K.A. the kid in the contract, has been reserved in the elitist Midgar Institution until her eventual graduation.

Tseng and Reeve have been updating Cloud on the progress of the LOVELESS concert, and are working on a possible tour next month to handle the demands beyond Midgar. Genesis seems to be in overdrive these few days, having already completed the scores needed for the concert. It was rumored that he has already completed what seems like half of the music scores for his next album. Reeve had to even talk him out of his crazy trance and focus him on the upcoming concert.

Cloud finally has time for himself.

Perhaps it was the guilt of not visiting her last Friday night, this week Cloud has made sure to spend a lot more time with Aerith. On days he can make time, he would drive to her office to have lunch with her, visit the wedding planner with her, and try out different hotel's banquet dishes with her.

Aerith though, seemed a lot less enthusiastic than before. She would go on a daze sometimes when looking at Cloud, and he would hold her hand to snap her out of it.

"What's wrong?" He kissed the back of her hand, his focus split from the road.

"Nothing." She replied, looking out of the passenger side window.

He squeezed her hand tighter. "You know you can always talk to me."

There was a long pause and Cloud parked his car on the walkway to her apartment. The building is owned by Ilfalna, and Aerith stays at the penthouse here.

He turns off the car engine and pulls her so she leaned against him. "I'm sorry I was so busy last week." He kissed her forehead, and felt her skin tremble under his lips. "You know Genesis has been making my life a living hell."

He closed his eyes and feels her shaking in his arms. She was crying. "It's okay, Aerith." He kissed her again, "you can talk to me."

"Cloud…" She looked up at him, her eyes glistering with tears in the moonlight. Cloud thought of how beautiful she is. "I – I…"

He waited for her to continue, but she just covered her face in her palms and sobbed. He held her until she calmed down.

"I want to leave this place," she murmured, her face still buried in her hands. "I'm sorry, Cloud."

Cloud tried to understand what she meant. "You will need to give me a couple of years; I can't leave now, the Don…"

"Without you, Cloud." She cuts him off. "I want to leave this place." She looks up at him, her eyes tired but determined. "I am going to Wutai, Icicle Village, Nibelheim… Anywhere that may need help."

He could not find his words as he watched her free herself from his arms. "There are so many needy children; I think this is a good time for me to do what I've always wanted."

"What do you mean 'a good time'?" He pulled her back to him. "We are about to get married!"

There were dark rings beneath her eyes, something Cloud has not noticed before. She must have been staying up lately, thinking. Cloud felt his heart sink. _Thinking about_ _ **this!**_

Aerith held his face in her hands, he could see himself in her eyes; shocked, broken and lost. "Let's call it off, Cloud."Her voice was faint, fleeting but firm. "Please let me do this." She kissed him on the lips and they stayed there for a minute before he loosened his grip on her arms.

He watched as she stepped out of the car. She walked slowly back to her apartment; usually he would send her to her door, but today, he watched through the windshield as she walked alone. He thought the rays of sunlight reflecting off the back of her dress made her look like an angel ready to spread her wings; he could only watch as she walked away into her future, different from what they have planned so long together.

Cloud could not remember how long he stayed, parked on side of the road beside her apartment, but the sun was already setting. He thought about the first movie they watched together, how she clasp her fist against her chest when the music turned suspenseful. He remembered he pulled her hands and cupped it between his, and rubbing her cold fingers until they warmed up. Even under the dim lighting, he could tell that her face was red.

He thought of the first time he truly experienced a day in her life, in her house filled with dogs and cats, running her around when they were hungry. He remembered pinching his nose as he cleared up the pee box and wondering how he would ever live with her if they got married.

He thought of their first kiss together, after a whole month of dating. It was their first, under the moonlight in the garden of the Church she attended when she volunteered to decorate the garden for Christmas. It was a kiss in front of the God she believed in, and it was a promise he made to himself.

He asked himself if he could give her up, and answering him, was just an overwhelming sense of loneliness.

Cloud thought he would cry, but there was just emptiness. He looked up to her apartment again, and the lights are off. _What is she doing in the dark,_ he thought, _is she hurting too?_ He unlocked his phone and dropped her a text message.

 _'I'll wait here tonight. If you wish to change your decision, then come to me.' 17:47_

 _'Give me five years, and I will travel with you.' 17:55_

 _'I promise.' 18:02_

Cloud opened the door and locked his car. He walked over to the side of the car where he can see her room clearly; he leaned against the car and looked at the time, 18:05. He will wait tonight, until morning, for her to change her mind.

All night he waited, and he felt a part of him die away with every hour passed.

* * *

The next few days crawled by in a blur. Cloud buried himself with work; robotic and unfeeling, he checked through every department's spending, every little email that he would previously ignore. He packed his schedule with meetings, and visited almost all his business partners. There is a big void in his heart, and he tried to plaster it with work.

There is still too much time, because he could not sleep at night. So he started going to the gym in the late nights, or listen to mid night DJ's. He even downloaded podcasts to listen to during the drives to work and back home, about topics he did not care for. He shunned love songs, he shunned movies, and he shunned anything that would remind him of Aerith.

This was his first break up, and he had no experience dealing with it. Don gave him a call the other day to ask, but did not pursue further when Cloud said it was Aerith's decision. The Don did not bother with his personal life much, unless it affected his work.

He briefly remembered that the concert was coming up this weekend, but he had Reeve taking care of that. He found himself dreading the weekends, when he will definitely struggle to keep all twenty-four hours occupied.

It was the wee hours on Friday night, Saturday morning. Cloud thought he would sleep easily after having gone out to the club with his business partners; after an eternity of blankly staring at the ceiling, he decided he was not going to get any sleep after all. He brushed his teeth again to get rid of any lingering alcohol breath, changed to his gym clothes and drove to the office.

Of course there was a huge gym in the building where he lived, but he did not like sharing gym equipments with others, so he often just worked out at his personal gym at the office. Well, it was not owned by him, but the Don did not use the gym at all when he was CEO, so Cloud had it renovated when he took over.

An office this huge, meant that it was bound to have plenty rumors about it being haunted. But Cloud was sure; the way he looked now would scare any ghosts away. He rubbed his throbbing temples and leaned against the glass wall of the elevator.

As the elevator moved pass the twentieth floor, Cloud could see the lights were still turned on. It was normal for the singers and song writers to stay late when working on their new album, which is perhaps one of the reasons FMG has so much supernatural rumors; or it could be that the security guard simply forgot to switch off the lights. He decided as a good CEO that he would switch off the lights if there was no one, or stop by to provide some motivation if there were people working on their music.

He pressed for the lift door to open, and stepped out. He could hear a faint melody of a piano playing and followed the music to a studio; his senses has always been incredibly acute. Like all rooms, it had a security lock and Cloud tapped his wallet to it.

The studio was made sound proof, so he could only make out the tune more clearly when he put on the headset from the recording booth.

Tifa was seated behind a concert grand piano and he watched her from the glass separation behind a glass separation, from the recording studio. The architect of the building very smartly placed the door at the back of the recording studio so it would not disturb whoever was playing, or singing.

He thought the tune sounded very familiar; it felt like an old tale, and reminded him of flower fields and the countryside; it was not an elaborate piece, but it was peaceful and almost tugged at something buried and dormant in his memories.

Tifa saw him and stopped playing, "Mr. Strife?" She stood up.

He nodded at her, and he could see a faint reflection of himself with messy hair and gym clothes on the glass pane. He put down the headset and walked to where she was. "Good morning Tifa, why are you still here?"

She looked surprised that he would walk over to speak with her, and he tried to ignore the fact that he looked like a mess. "We just had the rehearsal for the concert at Midgar studio." She blushed, "I was too nervous to sleep so I wanted to come and practice some."

"I see." He pulled a chair from the side of the room and joined her at the piano. "Was the piece you were just playing part of new concert score?" He asked.

"No, I was just practicing my fingers with some simple tune. I got tired of rehearsing the same songs." She laughed.

"What is the name of the piece then?" He was genuinely interested. "Did you make it yourself?"

She paused and looked at him. "I made this with a friend a long time ago, she smiled."

He nodded; guess she did not want to tell him the name of the music piece. "Can you play it again?" He leaned against the side of the piano.

"Sure." She smiled and sat down again. He adjusted to rest back on back of the chair and folded his arms as he usually does.

Listening from the start, Cloud felt a wave of nostalgia wash by him; this seems like the first time in days since he last felt anything but emptiness.

He closed his eyes and let himself drift in this strange emotion.

* * *

"…Come here, Cloud!" The voice of a young girl was calling out to him. He felt a tug and someone was pulling him along. "Come, Come!"

"Wait, wait!" He felt his body spoke and he was panting. He realized, he was in someone else's body again, but this time he was running, not falling.

"Quickly, Cloud!" The little girl shouted, the wind blowing at her hair. They were running across a field of flowers, he could not see her face, but he could tell they were little, and the tall flowers in the field was up to their waist. "Quickly!"

They struggle pass the field and came to a mansion. The sun was high up in the sky and all they could smell was the overwhelming sweet scent of magnolia flowers hanging from the huge tree on the walkway to the mansion. "Faster! I have to be home before 8!" She looked back at him, but her face was covered in the shadow of the tree. They climbed through the open window beside the main door and let themselves in.

He could feel the thoughts of the boy, which his conscience is on. He _knew_ that they have been here many times before, and he _knew_ exactly where she was bringing him.

The mansion was kept clean; but the owners were not in. They walked up a flight of stairs and into a long corridor, and opened the second door on the right, where there was a big wooden square piano. They walked towards the piano and he took a seat beside her. He tried to look at her face, but the body always had his eyes pinned to the floor. He could tell the boy was extremely nervous around her, nervous yet blissful.

She started playing the same song she always played when they were together. He could tell she had a lot to improve on when it comes to her piano skills, but he could still make out the melody.

"Why do you always just play this song?" He asked softly when she was done, and cupped her cold sore fingers between his.

"Dummy!" She knocked her forehead against his. He tried to focus on her face but her features were a blur. "I made this for you! This is our song!" He knew the answer, but he just wanted to hear her say it. "That's why it's called Cloud –"

* * *

 _Bang!_ Cloud opened his eyes; the sharp pain on his forehead brought forward an embarrassing realization. He has just fallen asleep here, while listening to his employee play; _not to mention he only woke up because he knocked his head on the piano_. She was still playing the same score.

"Mr. Strife?" Tifa looked over at him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He rubbed his head. "What time is it?"

She looked over at the digital clock on the wall. "Looks like it's already morning, it's 8:15 now." He has slept for about three hours then.

"You played all night?" She nodded and he saw that her eyes were red and tired. "Why didn't you rest?" he stretched his neck.

"Well," she looked at him wryly, "you kept grunting every time I stopped."

Cloud rolled his eyes and turned around. He would be damned if she saw how his face was burning with embarrassment now. "Bullshit."

"It's true!" She folded her arms. "I should have taken a video to prove!"

"Whatever." He adjusted his shirt, and combed his fingers through his hair. "Are you hungry?"

Tifa stood up and made a big stretch with her hands linked above her head and her foot on tip toe. "Yes, sir, I'm famished!" She smiled at him and walked towards the door. "What should we have for breakfast? You should know Midgar better."

"I know a hotel nearby that serves Junon style breakfast." He suggested.

Tifa turned back and studied his face. He cocked a brow at her and watched as her eyes scanned down to his t-shirt and sweat pants.

He blushed again and turned to pick up and chair. "I have a change of clothes at my office." He stacked the chair back with the others by the side of the room.

"How about we go somewhere that it's perfectly fine to dress like that?" She spread her arms, showing that she was also wearing something simple, a white turtleneck tank top that hugged her figure tightly and showed her belly button when she stretched, above a pair of black of black skinny jeans. Simple, yet stunning. "I'll bring you!"

Cloud Strife has spent twenty-five years in Midgar, even though twelve of it were missing memories, he was sure he would know the city better than this new kid on the block. But Gaia, was he wrong.

"Ayy, Tee!" A big guy wearing singlet and a full body of tattoo from his bald head down to his calves greeted them. "Who's dis? Yo' man?" He opened the door and almost shoved them in. Cloud shrugged him off unnoticeably and brushed his sleeves where the man's oily hands touched. He really did not enjoy being near complete strangers that were in no way related to his work of his life.

"No, silly!" Tifa laughed and punched the man on his bare arms. Cloud watched in disgust as the guy's flesh bounced from the impact. This man was bulky, with a thick bicep where the shape of his muscles rested under a layer of fat. "This is my big boss. Don't offend him or I'll have to sleep on the streets!"

The man laughed and Cloud could feel the floor shake.

They sat at a small square table by a greasy window with some unidentified black matter stuck on the sides. The stool was fixed onto the floor and the round cushioned top would make the sharpest of noises every time he moved. He _hates_ this place.

"Trust me; you'll love the food here!" She smiled, trying to ignore the look on his face that would put the coldest temperatures on the mountains of Icicle to shame.

He flipped the menu, and _who would have ever thought_ that it would be greasy like the rest of this eatery. He closed it immediately.

Tifa waived for the waitress to come and take their order. "I'll have your breakfast stuffed muffins and a cinnamon roll please. For drinks, I'll like some OJ, thanks!"

"Black coffee." The waitress and Tifa both looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "That's all."

"Huh?" They both exclaimed in unison. "How about you try some of their pan cakes? It's really good!" Tifa suggested.

"No." He passed the menu to the waitress and folded his arms; he would never want to lay his hands on the table.

The waitress was about to go when Tifa stopped her. "Can you get him a set of bacon and eggs please?"

"No." Cloud insisted. Tifa winked at the waitress and the waitress winked back; the order was taken.

"It's not good for your stomach to just drink black coffee without food in the morning." Tifa glared at him. For a moment Cloud thought that look was familiar, as though he has seen it countless times before; and in that moment, he forgot to retort.

"I know this is not a place that someone like you would ever visit," Tifa put on a gentle smile. "But this is my world, and I'm not ashamed of it."

He kept his silence, but his brows are no longer knitted together.

"I really want to thank you, Cloud Strife." She looked at him intently so he could see the sincerity in her eyes. "Thank you for granting my wish of giving Marlene a good education; thank you for putting up with me even though I was really rude when we first met, and thank you for helping me even though I was just a stranger that lives a parallel life to yours." She extended her hands to him. "Perhaps we can come to know each other over. I am Tifa Lockhart, 23 years old, I work at a bar but I have the alcohol tolerance of a 3 year old." She flashed him a huge smile that shows the top row of her teeth, and her ruby eyes were squinted together in a line.

He shakes her hand loosely.

"Alright!" She squeezed his hand before letting go. "Today is my treat! That is also the main reason why I insisted to come here. I wouldn't be able to afford a meal in _your kind of places_ even if I were to save up for a whole year!"

The waitress serves the drinks and she took a big sip. "From now, I will really start to know you for who you are." She mumbled under her breath, her eyes downcast. He wonders if she meant for him to hear it.

The food was served fast as there were no other guests at this time on a weekend. Having been persuaded by Tifa, Cloud ate his breakfast albeit unwillingly at first. He has to admit that the food was pretty decent, and maybe he would not mind to come again in the future, maybe with her. He doubts anyone else he knows would eat here, except maybe Reno. _Nah,_ not even Reno.

When it came to the time to pay, Tifa insisted; she held out a fifty gil note, and lectured him. "See this note? To you, it is small, but to me, it is big. That is the difference between us. If you were to pay for today's meal, then the significance is a lot lower!"

"Dat's right, kid." The big man slapped his back. "Let da lady pay!"

Cloud felt like his head was spinning from all these nonsense, but he let her pay. _Just this once,_ he thought. Anyways, he did pay for her hotel previously, and the little girl's hefty school fees.

They walked back to his car, which was surrounded by kids in awe of its beauty. He pressed the car key and the kids dispersed.

"Do you live around here?" He asked, as she fastened her seatbelt.

"Pretty close." She replied. "It's a nice neighborhood."

He looked at the old buildings around, the paint peeling off most of the shops, and the walls were full of graffiti. _Nice neighborhood my foot, this place also known as the_ _ **slums**_ "Why don't you get a better place closer to the city?" The slums were on the outskirts of central Midgar, about 30 minutes drive from FMG. Between here and there, there are plenty of decent housings for rent.

"Well, lodging in Midgar is really expensive." She rolled her eyes at him. "Anyways, my boss from the bar at Costa Del Sol – Barret – decided to move here for Marlene so I'm renting a small room a unit above theirs."

He could not think of a suitable response. He may have suffered through bullying, loss of memories and recently, heartbreak; but he was never in _poverty_.

She guide him through the narrow roads filled with potholes until he reached sector seven, where she pointed for him to turn in. "Thanks for sending me home." She unbuckles the seat belt. "Since we are friends now, sort of," she turned to look at him, with an eye narrowed in a wince and her lips upturned. "Can I call you Cloud?"

He shrugged, "I thought you didn't like the name."

"Uh… That was a misunderstanding." She scratched her head. "Anyways, will you be at the concert tonight?"

"Yeah." He said without thinking; he has never been to any of Genesis' concerts, but he needed to find ways to spend his time.

"Cool! It starts at eight, but I'll be there at five to get ready. Wish me luck!" He nodded.

She waved at him and walked to her home with light weighted footsteps. He wonders if she will have some time to rest before the long night, and felt a bit guilty for keeping her up all night.

He cocked his head and looked at the neon signboard above the small run down bar she just entered, "Seventh Heaven", with the 'S' looking like it was about to fall off anytime.

So this is her life. Strangely, he was not repulsed by it.

* * *

I really hope the sequence of events with Aerith is not too abrupt, the reason will be told later. Also, I tried to make the progression between Cloud and Tifa as gradual and natural as possible.

If you liked it, do leave a review / favorite / follow so I know I'm on the right track! I also post my thoughts on writing these chapters on Tumblr blog posts (username is also lacielemons), so you can check it out if you're interested on the thoughts behind the chapter. I only use it as a place to pen my thoughts so there won't be many reposts etc. I barely know how to use it.

Thanks for the review: Nexxus176

Thanks ftor the Follows: Tabark, Shiranai Atsune, LadyofReincarnation

Thanks for the Author Alert: Ybarra87, Shiranai Atsune, LadyofReincarnation

My virgin favorite (both story author): LadyofReincarnation

Thank you and have a great weekend ahead!

 _P.S. Chapter 4 will probably be next weekend._

XOXO, Lacie

* * *

 **Words this chapter without Author's crap: 4059**

 **Worlds total thus far without Author's crap: 10,770**


	4. A Caged Bird

_I just sent my laptop to the service center to get the keyboard fixed this Tuesday._

 _Meanwhile I am writing the next chapter on my computer at work._

They say the laptop should be done next week so hopefully my updates will not be delayed.

 _Good day, and welcome to chapter_ _ **FOUR!**_

* * *

 **{Chapter Four: A Caged Bird}**

Cloud is dreaming again.

It has been barely a few hours since he was last in this very mansion, trapped in the body of a small boy. This time though, he was in his own body. He looked around and found himself in the corridor on the second floor, where the little boy and girl were at.

He followed his recent memory and walked to the room with the piano. He could hear faint cries from beyond the door.

Slowly, he creaked open the wooden door and looked into the room, which was illuminated by the orange light of dusk through the wide glass panels. Over at the piano, the little boy sat alone, his face buried in his hands. Cloud stopped to question again, if this was a dream or a piece of long lost memory.

"Hey, little guy." He walked over, and put a knee down on the floor. "Why are you crying?"

"Mr. Strife?" the boy looked up at him. He had a head of unruly blonde hair, which made him look like he has not showered in a while. His face had streaks of tear marks and his light brown eyes were red and swollen. Cloud felt his heart ache for some reason.

"Why are you crying?" He asked again, patting the boy's head and shuffling the golden strands of soft hair between his fingers.

"I wanna go out." The boy replied, his eyes filling up with tears again. "But I can't."

Cloud wiped his tears away and pulled his hand. "Come, I'll bring you out."

But when he looked over to where he entered through the door previously, there was no door. Cloud felt his heart stopped for a moment and looked down at the boy.

The boy rubbed his eyes and pointed at the wall, where the door previously was. "I told you, I can't go out." He whimpered.

Cloud pulled him towards the window and they looked out at the big magnolia tree. "Are you alone? Where's the girl you were with?" The leaves on the tree did not move at all, time seems to be frozen here.

"I don't know…" The little boy looked up at him. "Mr. Strife, I've been here for so long… I'm afraid I will forget everything. Forget who she is… who I am."

"Don't worry, young man, I'll get you out." Cloud rubbed the boy's messy head. "I'm a big successful business man, believe me. I'll just call my guys and they will get us out soon enough, so don't you worry."

The boy looked up at him with wide eyes. "I know you're successful, Mr. Strife." He replied politely, "but were your eyes always blue?"

Cloud felt like he has heard this question before. He wanted to laugh at the kid's strange question but he found himself looking into a pair of big innocent eyes that seemed to know everything.

"Were they always blue?" He asked again.

"Mr. Strife... were they always blue?"

* * *

Cloud woke up in a start, his sheets drenched in cold sweat.

It has been so long since he last had any decent rest, yet all these stupid dreams just will not stop. He looks at the time; 14:15, it's only been hour and a half since he tried to sleep.

Cloud runs his fingers through his messy hair and stood up. He was about to take a shower when his phone rang, it was the Don's number.

"Don Corneo?" He answered.

"Hello, Cloud." A woman spoke slowly in a voice that sounded like she either tried too hard to be sexy, or spent too much of her youth drowned in alcohol.

"Scarlet." He called her out. "Where is the Don?"

"Why? Aren't you happy to hear from your mom?" She giggled. "The Don right beside me of course." He hears her giving a wet kiss to the Don.

Cloud wanted to throw up. "What do you want?"

"Mmmmm… That's not a good tone to speak with your mom, honey." She scoffed, "I got to teach you a lesson when we meet again."

"I'm hanging up."

"If you dare!" She squealed. "The Don wants me to ask you," she paused and sighed exaggeratedly into the phone. "Why did the Gainsborough girl call off the wedding?"

"I will speak with the Don directly."

"No, honey." Scarlet laughed. "You speak with me. The Don is too busy for your nonsense."

He hears the Don coughing in the background; he tries to remember the last time they met. "Aerith decided to pursue her dream to travel the world, so she called it off."

"Poor Cloudy-boy!" Scarlett laughed almost hysterically.

He hangs up and throws the phone on the bed; it bounces a few times before dropping off on to the floor. He really does not want to deal with this bitch now.

* * *

Reno threw the tennis racket, which hit the floor with a soft _clank_ , and laid down on his back. "No more!"He shouted between heavy breaths. "I can't anymore!"

A tennis ball flew at him and bounced on his forehead but he did not bulge. "Please, no!" His voice echoed in the indoor tennis court.

Cloud wanted to continue; but this time, even Rude sat down on the floor. "Yeah boss," he panted. "We're too tired to continue."

"We should get prepared for the concert too," Tseng joined in, panting. "We're already late."

"Yeah boss!" Reno cried, "We ain't some superman like you!"

He rolled his eyes and threw another tennis ball at Reno; this time it hit him on the nose before bouncing off to join the previous ball.

Cloud has _summoned_ them from their treasured weekend to play double tennis. Problem is, they have been playing since around three in the afternoon. It has been _six hours._

"We should be able to make it in time for the encore," Tseng suggested, passing Cloud's towel to him. "Shall we make a move?"

Even Tseng could not take the outburst from Cloud any longer. Cloud nodded and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

This is a private Tennis court that Cloud has booked annually under his name; he is also a shareholder, so they had to concur when Cloud insisted to build a private adjoined changing room and bathroom. The trio went to the public shower and changed into their usual suits.

He was styling his hair in the bathroom when he heard them enter the waiting room. Tonight, he is wearing a black buttoned blouse with matching jeans and a pair of leather boots. He thought about joining the after party, since he probably will not getting much sleep again tonight. The trio outside though, they are probably at the verge of death. Cloud threw his dirty clothes in the laundry basket for the cleaners to wash for him and prepare for the next time he came.

They drove off in separate cars towards the concert location, except for Reno and Rude, who shared everything.

* * *

Tseng gave the security at the Central Midgar Stadium a call and their cars were escorted in through a private entrance. The security then led them to their seats, located in a concealed room above the stage where they could get the best view.

The crowd were cheering _"encore"_ with so much enthusiasm that Cloud could feel their words vibrating through the leather couch he was sitting on. He put on a headset located on the arms of the couch to listen better to what Genesis was saying on stage.

Reeve came in from the backstage, and took a seat behind him. Cloud paid no attention to anything other than the concert happening below.

"Before the encore," he spoke in his usual charismatic voice, though panting, his words were still firm. "I would like to introduce all of you, to my muse." Cloud watched from the privacy glass as Genesis pulled Tifa over to the center of the stage.

He changed his focus to the TV screen on the wall above the glass pane, which showed a zoomed in live footage of the stage. "Miss Tifa Lockhart!" Genesis introduced. "I first met her, in a setting much like a scene in a Shakespeare play; she was playing the piano in a small bar and I was getting a drink to waste my night away. Instantly I knew, this was the missing piece to my music." He laughed.

"Thank you, TIfa, for helping me complete my music with your wondrous talent!" He could see Tifa's pixilated face on the screen blush as she nervously took a bow. Her eyes were darting around, and for a while, Cloud felt as though their eyes met; but she looked away from the camera quickly. "Next, for the encore, we bring to you a new experience of LOVELESS."

She was wearing a tight black dress with the front cut short, displaying her long legs; the back of the dress dragged along the floor as she walked back to the piano. She wore a pair of matching black wings on her back that bounced like they were flapping whenever she moved. Her hair were braided back into big locks which released into a black fountain of curls that splayed down her shoulders; a big ruby crystal was suspended on her forehead on a silver chain that was braided into her hair. With dark eye shadows and a bright red lip that matched her eyes; she looked like a fallen goddess.

Cloud tightened his lips. He was pretty sure there was no Shakespeare scene where a man met a woman who played the piano at a bar; this Genesis is just full of bullshit like usual. He took a sip of the red wine that was freshly served by the staff; it tastes like crap.

Instead of the electric guitar, Genesis changed to the classical guitar. A choir team joined in the back and Tifa started playing the piano. The crowd went silent as Genesis walked to the front of the stage, and sat on the edge facing the crowd. He joined Tifa with his guitar.

 _My friend! The fates are cruel._

 _There are no dreams, no honor remains._

 _The arrow has left the bow of the goddess;_

 _My soul… corrupted by vengeance,_

 _Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey –_

 _In my own salvation…_

 _And your eternal slumber._

 _Legend shall speak of sacrifice at world's end;_

 _The wind sails over the water's surface…_

 _Quietly, but surely…_

Cloud listened and he could feel the emotions coming from within Genesis' voice. The camera panned to the crowd with tear-striken faces, and Cloud took another sip of the shit wine.

"The next song," Genesis stood up, "is a song from my next album."

"It's a song that will make your hearts SCREEEEAAAAM!" He shouted, and slammed the guitar onto the edge of the stage, breaking it into two and dumping it to the bottom of the stage. The crowd started going crazy and Cloud wanted to cut off his ears.

Even if the morrow is barren of promises,

Nothing shall forestall my return!

To become the dew that quenches the land;

To become the sands, the seas, the skies,

I offer thee this silence sacrifice!

Genesis started playing an interval piece with his electric guitar, while Tifa's piano increases the speed of the tune. He ran around on the stage and the dancers behind him moved in front, covering him. Cloud saw him running to Tifa and grabbing her from the piano, throwing her over his shoulders where his guitar strap was. The drums were still loud and the violins and the basses continued playing.

"For the rest of this song, you would have to listen when the album is out!" Genesis laughed, and ran off to the backstage. "Good night Midgar!"

And there was a loud trumpet of the drums and basses before the lights on stage went out. The crowd took a moment to react before breaking into a frenzy of laughter and cries.

Cloud cringed.

"Didn't think you'd wanna come, boss." Reno laughed as he downed another shot of tequila before leaning back onto the leather couch, snoring. Rude was already down a while ago, sleeping soundly beside them. They were separated from the rest of the people, who crowded around the bar counter beside the pool. Apparently Tifa wanted to show off her bartending skills.

From the corner of his eyes, Cloud could only see the juggling whisky bottles flying into the air, and the crowd cheering. Tseng walked in with a couple more cocktails.

"Ms. Lockhart is really good at this." He laughed. "She made some for us to try."

Cloud took a sip of his whisky. "Didn't we hire a few bartenders?" He asked, "Why is she the one serving drinks?"

The after party was set at a hotel's open garden on the highest floor. It was a small party with a live band and floaters in the swimming pool. Cloud did not plan to stay long.

"I guess Ms. Lockhart took over their job today"

Cloud shrugged and took a glass from the tray Tseng served. "What's this?"

"That's, uh… that's called yellow bird." Tseng answered.

Cloud took a sip and found that it was just the right balance between dryness and flavor. He had to admit that her skills were true. They sat in silence drinking; Tseng occasionally bringing up some news he heard about the competitors, or the newly recruited singers, and Cloud would respond with a nod of his head, or some simple remark.

"You should send them back." Cloud pointed at Reno and Rude, who were snoring up a storm in the corner. Tseng barely touched his drink, because he knew he would be the one sending them home.

"Right." Tseng agreed. "What about you, boss?" He asked.

"You know I can drive back." Cloud deadpanned. It would take a lot to make him even remotely tipsy.

Tseng called for a waiter to help, and they pulled the drunken duo out to his car together.

Cloud finished his drink quickly and left the room. He walked out into where the main party was, moved past the drunken silhouettes and headed for the lift. It was so packed with people loitering about the lift lobby that Cloud decided to just take the stairs down, even though they were on the twentieth floor.

He walked down a flight of stairs before nearly bumping into a woman sitting on the steps.

"Oh, Cloud!" She greeted. "Why are you here?"

Tifa was sitting with her shoes off, her usual leather messenger bag beside her. "I'm leaving." Cloud shrugged.

"By going down the stairs?" She asked with her eyes wide. "It's a long way down!"

Cloud brushed her remark off and studied her. Her hair was still braided, but she has changed to a more comfortable set of clothing; a white singlet and a pair of low rise jeans.

Her feet though, were covered in blisters. Some were popped and she looked like she was trying to clean them up before putting on the heels again. "Are these your shoes?" He pointed at the pair of bright red, felted platform pumps.

"Oh, these, I loaned them from the events crew." She laughed, trying to hide her feet by scooting them under her thighs.

"Where are your shoes?"

She crinkled her nose. "I left them at the changing room."

The Midgar stadium is a ways out from here, so it was not logical to drive back there to get her shoes before sending her home. He stepped down a couple of steps so be was below her. He bent down and rested one of his knees on the ground. "Get on."

"Huh?"

Cloud sighed and pulled her arms over his neck and bounced her onto his back. He picked up her messenger bag and shoved it to her; she was too shocked to react. "No! You don't have to –"

"Hold on tight." He commanded, and started walking down the stairs.

"T-The shoes!" She struggled. "I have to return them tomorrow!"

"Leave them."

"Put me down!" It _is_ a long way down, but Cloud knows it takes more than this to make him break a sweat. "I can walk!"

"No you can't." He continued walking.

"Yes I can, put me down!" She struggled and her flapping legs nearly knocked him off balance on the steps.

"Stop." He frowned, "Your feet stink."

Tifa took a moment to register. "What!? No they don't!" She cried.

"Stop moving your feet or it stinks up the air."

"IT DOESN'T STINK!" Tifa kept her left hand around his neck but her right reached up to tug on his hair.

"Stop."

"Hahahahaha!" She laughed. "Your fault for making it so spiky!"

Cloud thought her guts tripled in size today; must have been the alcohol. He thought she said she could not drink; lies, apparently.

"It does… look good on you though." She murmured softly under her breath.

She touched his hair again, and rested her head against his before wrapping her hands back around his neck. "I'm glad I took the job." She whispered.

Cloud did not like being close to someone, so he flinched slightly at her actions but she did not budge.

"Did you try the drink I made?" She asked, in a soft voice after he went down another few flights of stairs.

" _Yellow Bird?_ "

"Huh?" She furrowed her brows. "What yellow bird?"

Tseng must have gotten the name wrong. "I drank the yellow one with Rum and lime."

"Oh!" She giggled. "That's the one I made thinking of you! It's called Mr. Chocobo."

The more she laughed, the more Cloud wanted to strangle Tseng. He felt her chest vibrating with laughter, rubbing against him. He wonders if she was nervous, because her heart was beating so loudly he could hear it in his head.

She laughed the whole way down.

When they were at the ground floor, the staff greeted him and passed him his car keys. "Do you need help, Mr Strife?" The staff asked. When cloud declined, they politely walked him to his car. "Mr. Tseng has instructed for us to park the car right here for you, sir." He gestured towards the nearest exit.

Cloud nodded and walked towards the car.

He sat Tifa down on the passenger seat and opened the storage compartment. He paused to look at the small pouch sitting in the corner; Aerith… always had everything prepared for him.

He pulls the pouch out and emptied the contents on his hand, taking out the antiseptic spray and a packet of tissues before closing the compartment. He pulled one of her feet towards him and rested it on his bent knees before spraying her heels and sides of her feet, where the blisters are.

She did not budge, so he made quick work of the other feet before wiping away any extra moisture from her feet. He sprays his hands and wiped them on his pants before tucking away the spray. "You know how to deal with this right?" He asked.

"W-What?" Tifa flinched and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"The blisters, you know how to deal with them right? Keep them dry."

"Y-Yeah…" She answered.

She has already taken off her make up, so it was pretty obvious that her cheeks were flaring a deep red. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah." She swallowed. "I'm fine."

He frowned and placed the back of his hand against her forehead. "You feel feverish."

"I'm fine. It's just the alcohol." She smiled, but the smile did not touch her eyes. He watched as she licked her dry trembling lips.

"Your heart rate is also unnaturally fast." He stated, not just fast, but extremely loud. He could hear it even now.

"Must have been the alcohol." She let out a dry laugh.

He shrugged, closed the door and walked over to the driver's seat. It was not long before Tifa started a conversation again, Cloud thought she was especially chatty today.

"Genesis is a really good performer." She smiled. "I was really impressed by his performance today."

He continues to focus on the road.

"He was also really sick today... That's why he didn't join the after party." Tifa continued, "I thought he wouldn't be able to make it. But he managed to pull through the concert."

There was a long silence before she spoke again, this time in a quiet voice. "Did you watch the performance today?"

He could feel her eyes staring at him with such intensity she could burn a hole on his face. He nodded.

"Do you think… I did a good job?"

"Yes, you did." He answered honestly.

She let out a deep breath and smiled. "Thank you!"

"You have great potential." He looked at her, so she could see the truth in his eyes. "Believe in yourself more."

He could see her wine-colored eyes shimmer under the street lights like a sea of stars; he tries not to think too much of the feelings revealed in those eyes. He focuses on the road instead; Tifa too, fell silent to her own thoughts.

The drive to Seventh Heaven (Midgar Edition) is as smooth as it can be, with roads filled with potholes and non-existent street lights. Cloud turned on the headlights and tried his best to make out the directions, with Tifa trying to help on the side.

"Can you drop me off at the backdoor?" She pointed at a turn by the corner. "It's closer to my room."

He looked at the narrow street, and wondered why would there even be a backdoor when the front door already looks like one. He turns around and corner and drove towards the other side of the road where the back door should be.

This street was even narrower and his car could barely fit. The road was made out of bricks, or lack thereof, so he had to move even slower to not ruin his tires. He wants to suggest for her to a different lodging again, but he kept silent as his mind reminded him that they are still pretty much strangers. He really should stay off her affairs.

It was a quarter past two in the morning when he reached. Cloud told her to stay in the car while he pulled out a pair of Charles from the boot; he walks over to the passenger seat and passed them to her. She slipped them on loosely and he helped her stand.

She looked comical when she pulled the shoes along with her as she walked to the door slowly. He helps her up the steps to the door and walked back to his car. She opened the door slowly and he found that she was looking back at him.

Her cheeks were flushed red, and her eyes looked watery. _She really does look drunk_ , he thought.

"Could you wait for a second?" She asked. "I will change to my shoes and pass these back to you."

He paused for a second and looked at the pair of oversized shoes she was wearing. They were a gift from Aerith a long time ago. She had said she liked dark colors on him, how they contrasted against his hair and eyes. She… was already gone.

"You can throw those away." He answered, and got into the car. From the corner of his eyes he could see her walking down the steps to him, trying to say something, but he turned on the engine and drove away. He looked at the driver side mirror and saw her silhouette standing in the middle of the road waving at him.

Cloud thought about the look in her eyes tonight. _Could it be –_

He blames it on the alcohol.

* * *

 _I am still contemplating how I want their relationship to develop. Hopefully this chapter was written to your standards._

Thanks for the reviews: Nexxus176: I'm so glad you liked the chapter! , Lina: Hope you liked this chapter as well! , LadyOfReincarnation: Thank you for such a wonderful review!

 **I hope I can continue to make this story increasingly enjoyable for all of you!**

Thanks for the alert subscriptions: Senhorita Caroline, bellatrixD

Thanks for the fav: Senhorita Caroline

XOXO, Lacie

* * *

 **Words this chapter without Author's crap: 3,974**

 **Words in total without Author's crap: 14,744**


	5. Pandora’s Box

**{Chapter 5: Pandora's Box}**

* * *

Cloud thought he would crash after such a long day, but strangely, it was ceiling appreciation night again.

Convoluted thoughts were flooding his brain, breaking through like waves in the ocean, drowning him. A moment, he was at the church with Aerith, watering the flowers and watching her pink dress billowing in the wind. Next, he was twelve again; curling up in a corner trying to speak but he has forgotten everything, even words, the Don was looking at him with disgust as he cries in the corner.

Another wave crashed and suddenly his mind was taken over by the scene from his recent 'dreaming' again, he was falling through the air, looking at a silhouette falling with him, the sound of a girl calling his name like birds chirping in the skies. He felt like the walls of his room has melted away and he was flying through these dreams.

Flower fields, a magnolia tree and a small voice asking "were they always blue?". He felt helpless like a child again, with monsters hiding in the depths of his mind that he could not run away from. He heard the piano play again, swallowing the thoughts and the walls were back… there was finally peace as he slept.

* * *

He slept through most of his Sunday until the ringing of his phone woke him up around late noon.

"Mr. Strife?" The voice greeted and he let out a soft grunt to acknowledge. "This is Doctor Gast's assistant. Don Corneo has just passed out and sent into the ER. We are still doing our diagnosis."

Don Corneo was away for vacation in his Junon mansion with Scarlet. "I will be there in a few hours." Cloud answered.

"Mr. Strife, Doctor Gast suggested that Doctor Hojo should join the diagnosis."

"I'll bring him."

"Thank you Mr. Strife." The assistant replied before the call ended.

Cloud called Tseng to prepare FMG's plane and Reno and Rude to get Hojo before stepping into the shower. Don's health has been steadily degrading since last year, which was the main reason why Cloud took over FMG prematurely. Although Cloud was never close to the Don, he owed his life to him. To public, he was Don's adopted son, who will eventually take over the empire.

Before FMG, Don Corneo has ventured in many other businesses, some less presentable. He was a name that every family knew, for he has huge influence in both the darkness and lights of the society. Cloud knows he can never measure up, but always did his best to make the Don proud. The main reason Cloud has not seen Don as often these few months, was mostly due to the presence of Scarlet, who he absolutely abhors.

When Cloud arrives at Junon, the Don has already been discharged and is resting in his mansion. He rushes to the Don's room to check on his condition while Hojo joins Gast in the Don's study.

"Look at the good son!" Scarlet laughed. "Taking his own sweet time to visit his dying father."

Cloud ignores her comment as he closed the bedroom door and walked towards the Don, who was deep asleep, breathing softly. He did not bother to ask Scarlet about the Don's condition to prevent any conversation with her.

"That's the difference between a real and an adopted son." Scarlet let out an exaggerated sigh and smoothen a stand of her platinum blond hair behind her ear. Cloud turned a quick glance at her; her fringe frames her sharp face in styled curls, with the rest of her hair tied in her trademark high ponytail. The bright red lipstick looked like it has just been recently touched up and Cloud turned his attention back to the Don. Every second of breathing the same air with her made him nauseous.

The Don's face was a sickly pale, his greasy blonde hair scattered about the pillow. He was an overweight man nearing his fifties, with the sides of his head balding. Cloud has always reminded the Don's assistants to take care of his health better. The Don was not a respectable man, especially during his younger days, but he was a man with huge presence nonetheless.

Cloud sat beside the Don's bed and watched over him silently. It wasn't long before he noticed Scarlet walking up behind him.

"Acting like a filial child now?" She snickered, leaning closer to him. Cloud shifted, but she continued moving closer until he was overwhelmed by the scent of her suffocating perfume. "Don't worry, he is stable now, just asleep."

Her face was barely touching his, and Cloud moved to stand up. Before he could move away, Scarlet placed her hand on his waist and whispered in his ear. " _You_ visiting _him_? Makes me want to laugh..."

Cloud could smell her stale cigarette breath and slapped her hand away. He stood up and moved away from her. "You think I am a slut, a whore who sold her body to the Don?" She asked in a sarcastic tone. "If only you knew... You are much, _much_ _worse_!"

Cloud had enough of her nonsense, and stormed towards the door.

"Poor Cloud-ie boy! You don't even know anything!" He heard her voice echo behind him as he shut the door.

He walked away from the room where he would not wake the Don and punched a hole into a wall with a silent grunt. He breathed heavily and rested his head against the wall. All the recent events were about to drive him crazy.

Taking a moment to push away the thoughts of murdering Scarlet, Cloud collected himself and walked towards the study where Hojo and Gast were. As he was about to enter, he hears a heated conversation and stopped outside the door.

"...need another… heheh... few years before the vessel is ready." Hojo croaked.

"How many years?"

"At least... two." Hojo laughed.

"The Don's condition is getting worse by the day and I am dying here trying to postpone the degradation!" Gast shouted.

"Heheheh… That is your problem, Doctor… Gast."

"You are just delaying so you can have more time to play with the vessel!" Cloud hears a slam on the table.

"Doctor… Gast, I will have you… know... that insulting me will bring… dire consequences… heheh… the Don knows fully of how much effort has been put into this… experiment…" Hojo laughed. "The Don knows… only I have the capability to perform such an advanced... surgery…"

Cloud felt his blood run cold but he could not understand a thing about what he just heard. Mechanically, he opened the door. Perhaps he did not want to hear any further, perhaps he wanted to ask, he did not know.

"Mr. Strife!" Gast stood up from the couch, spilling the X-ray graphs on the floor. Cloud watched as a drop of cold sweat trickled down his temple.

"...Doctor Gast." Cloud greeted but could not find his next words.

"Oh, Cloud!" Hojo greeted him in his usual villainous voice.

"I would like to understand more about the Don's condition." Cloud walked over to the coffee table to join them.

Gast sat back down on the couch and picked up the folder with his trembling hands. "The Don's reports shows that his major organs are starting to fail."

"Since when?"

"Earlier this year." Gast flips the file. "Mostly due to his cholesterol levels and lifestyle choices.

So it was natural, Cloud thought. It came early for Don but no one could cheat death. Cloud flips the health reports and scrutinized the contents.

"We would suggest bringing the Don back to Midgar for treatment." Gast suggested.

"The… treatment would be much… better in Midgar indeed." Hojo agreed.

Cloud nodded and continued to read through the health report. "I will get Tseng to arrange the flight back to Midgar."

"Heheh… No need to worry." Hojo replies after a while. "I can ensure that the Don will continue to live… heheh... for a long… time."

The comment somehow bothered Cloud. He feels as though there was a current flowing underneath the surface of what he sees, something everyone here knows except him. Scarlet, Hojo, the Don, Gast… they all know something that concerns him, but no one would tell him. "Are you both hiding anything from me?"

Gast chokes on his tea and hojo laughed. "Nothing… of course…" Hojo pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and stared at Cloud. "Nothing… at all…"

Cloud had unknowingly tighten his fist around the report, crumpling the flimsy plastic folder. When he sets it down, he realised parts of the soft plastic has broken off from the force of his one hand. Hojo looks extremely intrigued by this, snatching over the folder, flipping it through the air to check its stiffness.

"Such strength… Cloud…" Hojo beamed. "Such… incredible strength…" He laughs hysterically, studying the cracks in the folder.

Cloud slaps off the small pieces of plastic that were clinging to his hand and left the room. He could feel his emotions slowly getting out of control; he hated the way everyone spoke around him when it feels like they were speaking _about_ him. He walks briskly to the room allocated to him in the mansion and closed the door with a loud thud.

He shuts himself in the bathroom and switched on the lights. The fluorescent light illuminated his features, and the spikes of his hair glimmered softly in the reflection he sees within the mirror. He washes his hands over and over under the warm water until his skin were wrinkled and stiff, but he could not wash away the coldness in his blood.

Cloud studied his reflection in the mirror. He felt like a puppet on strings, a clown on the stage, a… vessel. He splashes water on his face and placed his hands on the sides of the sink, leaning his body weight against the cold porcelain. The water from the tap continued to flow as he tries to drown out his emotions.

He realised once again, how alone he truly is.

The next morning, Cloud knocked on the Don's room and Scarlet answered the door, with only a towel loosely wrapped around her body.

Cloud frowned in disgust as the reeking smell of sweat, cigarette and… more, hit him as the door opened.

"The Don is busy..." She answered with a smile, pointing towards her body. " And does not want to see you."

"I will be around if he needs me." Cloud turned to walk away.

"You're not needed here." The Don's voice echoes from the room.

Cloud turns back to look at the Don from the opening in the door. The Don was lying on the bed, his chest bare and his arms were propped behind his head. His greyish blue eyes scanned Cloud with disgust. "Close the door, Scarlet."

Scarlet blew him a kiss before closing the door. Cloud ought to have been used to the Don's coldness, but he still stood silently at the door for a good minute before walking away. He felt the skin on his face about to be burnt away from embarrassment, the senses from his fingers dulled from anger.

He was angry at himself mostly, he knew the Don would never be pleased to see him, no matter what he did; yet he would try again and again. It has been thirteen years since his adoption, since the time when he was practically mute and handicapped. He feared that a part of the weak imbecile still remained deep within him.

* * *

Cloud spends his week in Junon visiting the local FMG branch and giving talks to the local team. He spent days meeting up with the local country manager to review the sales figures and spending, as well as meeting up with business partners and banks to discuss about the next quarter's plans. He was always good at keeping himself busy with repeated tasks.

He continued to visit the Don every morning, had lunch with his business partners, discussed about Don's health with the two doctors after dinner, went to the gym and stared at the ceiling until morning to repeat it over.

It was already Friday when he was finally back in Midgar; and Cloud took the time to settle some paperwork in the FMG headquarters that evening after sending the Don back to his Midgar mansion. He was barely there for a moment when Elena knocked on the door.

"Mr. Strife," She greeted. "Ms. Tifa is here."

It was already after office hours, but Elena tend to stay behind if Cloud were in the office. "Let her in." He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You should go home Elena, I've troubled you enough while I was away."

"No problem at all, sir." She smiled and opened the door for Tifa to enter.

"Cloud?" She asked, walking over to his desk.

He did not want to answer; in fact, he did not want to have any human interactions today. He was still struggling to toss away and lock his emotions in a chest under the ocean.

She walked closer to him, while Cloud continued to reply his emails on his laptop, occasionally signing off the files on his desk.

"Sorry to bother you while you are busy." She smiled, her voice soft and comforting. "I'll just wait for you then."

"What do you want?" He asks without looking up to her.

She seemed to be taken aback by his attitude today as she shifted the weight on her feet. "I just wanted to thank you for that day. I received a courier with my shoes the next day… I know you arranged it… And I brought your shoes-"

"I said I didn't want them anymore." He cuts her off before she could say anything.

"Oh…" She places a box on his desk, and opens the lid, tilting the shoes up so he could see them. "They're still in very good condition. It's just that you've been keeping them in the boot of your car, so there were some cracks. I did my best to recover them."

He did not bother to look up at her.

"Leather is like wine." She continued. "You have to take care of them… like a lover, like an old friend and they can stay with you for a long time."

Cloud stopped typing on his emails and thought about her words. Her voice was like a feather in a breeze, beautiful and carefree. But her words were like knives on his heart; he has no lover, friends or family.

He closes his laptop and stood up; he leaned forward on with a hand propped on the desk to examine the shoes. He picks up the shoes and held them high under the light. The shoes were polished and the cracks that were previously there, were all smoothed out. "Do you know where I got these shoes?"

"Huh? No." She looked at his profile.

"These were a present from Aerith." He paused to look at her. "Do you know Aerith?"

Her face was a little pale when she nodded. "Your… I mean… previously you and her…"

"We were engaged, but as you can see from the news, we are no longer together."

There was a long period of silence before she spoke again. "I'm sorry. I didn't know-"

"When I say I didn't want them anymore, I meant it." He walked to the side of his desk where the empty trash can was, and dumped the shoes inside. "You should leave now."

For a moment, she just stood there and watched him. He knows he must seem very different from the last time they met, but he honestly just wanted to be left alone.

"Cloud?" She asked. "You are acting weird today."

He slumps into his chair and ignored her question.

She walks over to the bin and picks up the shoes, putting them into the box again. "Even if these shoes were a memory of a past, you should not just dispose of them like that." She frowned. "Good or bad, memories are a part of us and you should not take it out on a pair of shoes like a kid."

Cloud could feel his patience draining. He avert his eyes and focused on his laptop again.

"Did you hear me?"

She reached out to grab his hand and he slapped her hand away.

"I know how you are feeling, Cloud." She whispers patiently. "I… heard about your father. When I was young, my mother was really sick too."

He rubs the bridge of his nose again.

"You can talk to me, Cloud." She reached out to hold his hand again, this time he lets her. "We are friends aren't we?"

He felt like his head was about to explode; with a deep breath,he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. She stumbles against the foot of the table and lost her footing. He pins her against his desk and lowered himself above her, such that they were mere inches apart. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his lips, her eyes were wide open and shimmered under the bright fluorescent lights.

Slowly, he kissed the corner of her lips. He feels a breath hitch in her throat and he moved slowly to cover her entire lips, brushing against them tenderly. He could hear the deafening heartbeat again, and the scalding heat of her breath and her skin beneath him. Finally, he felt the coldness in his bones melt away.

Cloud pulled her hand over her head and kissed her harder now, his teeth pulling on the velvety skin of her lips, until he tasted blood. She returns the kiss like a lost child, innocent and sweet.

He knows now.

"You like me." He pulls away from her, his free hand moved to rub against the gash on her bottom lip. It was a statement.

Her face was a deep red, and her hair were splayed across the table. With an arm extended above her head and the other helplessly grabbing onto his shirt. She looked like a goddess ready to fall. "What is it?" He asked, "was it because I carried you that day? Or because I helped you the first day we met?

Her eyes were still drowsy from the kiss previously, but he could see them move, shifting focus from his one eye to the next. Trying to understand his words.

"Or is it because of what I have?" He asked in a low voice.

"What?" She whispered.

"Status... money..." he shrugged and leaned back, putting some space between them. "That kind of stuff."

Cloud watched as her brows furrowed together and a hint of anger flushed her cheeks.

 _Slap!_ Cloud could feel his left cheek burn from the sheer strength of the hit. She struggled free and kneed him in the stomach before standing up.

"You jerk!"

Tifa pushed him back into his seat, and he could see tears building in her eyes when she turned and ran out the door. Looking at the pair of Charles that were haphazardly thrown into the box, he let out a sigh and closed his eyes as the coldness crept back into his bones, engulfing him in darkness.

He rubbed his lips together and wondered what was wrong with him today.

Xxx

I'm using the ff app to upload this using my phone... can't do authors note as I usually do.

But to you who are reading right now, you know I love you!


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